Yamaha PF-500 User Manual

PF-500

PF-500

Owner's Manual

Before using the PF-500, be sure to read

IMPORTANT

Check your power supply

Make sure that your local AC mains voltage matches the voltage specified on the name plate
on the bottom panel. In some areas a voltage selector may be provided on the bottom panel of
the main keyboard unit. Make sure that the voltage selector is set for the voltage in your area. The
voltage selector is set at 240V when the unit is initially shipped. To change the setting use a
"minus" screwdriver to rotate the selector dial so that the correct voltage appears next to the
pointer on the panel.

“Precautions„ on pages 3-4.

Introduction

SPECIAL MESSAGE SECTION

PRODUCT SAFETY MARKINGS:

products may have either labels similar to the graphics
shown below or molded/stamped facsimiles of these
graphics on the enclosure. The explanation of these
graphics appears on this page. Please observe all cautions
indicated on this page and those indicated in the safety
instruction section.

Yamaha electronic

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

See bottom of Keyboard enclosure for graphic symbol markings

The exclamation point within the
equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servic­ing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the product.

The lightning flash with arrowhead
symbol, within the equilateral trian­gle, is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous
voltage” within the product’s enclo­sure that may be of sufficient magni­tude to constitute a risk of electrical
shock.

Battery Notice:

rechargable battery which (if applicable) is soldered in
place. The average life span of this type of battery is
approximately five years. When replacement becomes
necessary, contact a qualified service representative to
perform the replacement.

Warning:

incinerate this type of battery. Keep all batteries away
from children. Dispose of used batteries promptly and as
regulated by applicable laws. Note: In some areas, the
servicer is required by law to return the defective parts.
However, you do have the option of having the servicer
dispose of these parts for you.

Disposal Notice:

beyond repair, or for some reason its useful life is consid­ered to be at an end, please observe all local, state, and
federal regulations that relate to the disposal of products
that contain lead, batteries, plastics, etc.

NOTICE:

edge relating to how a function or effect works (when the
unit is operating as designed) are not covered by the man­ufacturer’s warranty, and are therefore the owners respon­sibility. Please study this manual carefully and consult
your dealer before requesting service.

NAME PLATE LOCATION:

cates the location of the name plate. The model number,
serial number, power requirements, etc., are located on
this plate. You should record the model number, serial
number, and the date of purchase in the spaces provided
below and retain this manual as a permanent record of
your purchase.

This product MAY contain a small non-

Do not attempt to recharge, disassemble, or

Should this product become damaged

Service charges incurred due to lack of knowl-

The graphic below indi-

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

are tested and approved by an independent safety testing
laboratory in order that you may be sure that when it is
properly installed and used in its normal and customary
manner, all foreseeable risks have been eliminated. DO
NOT modify this unit or commission others to do so
unless specifically authorized by Yamaha. Product perfor­mance and/or safety standards may be diminished.
Claims filed under the expressed warranty may be denied
if the unit is/has been modified. Implied warranties may
also be affected.

SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE:

information contained in this manual is believed to be
correct at the time of printing. However, Yamaha reserves
the right to change or modify any of the specifications
without notice or obligation to update existing units.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:

duce products that are both user safe and environmentally
friendly. We sincerely believe that our products and the
production methods used to produce them, meet these
goals. In keeping with both the letter and the spirit of the
law, we want you to be aware of the following:

All Yamaha electronic products

The

Yamaha strives to pro-

PF-500

Model

Serial No.

Purchase Date

PF-500

2

92-469 1

PRECAUTIONS

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING

* Please keep this manual in a safe place for future reference.

WARNING

Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of serious injury or even death
from electrical shock, short-circuiting, damages, fire or other hazards. These precautions include, but
are not limited to, the following:

Power supply/Power cord

• Only use the voltage specified as correct for the instrument.
The required voltage is printed on the name plate of the
instrument.

• Check the electric plug periodically and remove any dirt or
dust which may have accumulated on it.

• Use only the supplied power cord/plug.

• Do not place the power cord near heat sources such as
heaters or radiators, and do not excessively bend or otherwise
damage the cord, place heavy objects on it, or place it in a
position where anyone could walk on, trip over, or roll anything
over it.

Do not open

• Do not open the instrument or attempt to disassemble the
internal parts or modify them in any way. The instrument
contains no user-serviceable parts. If it should appear to be
malfunctioning, discontinue use immediately and have it
inspected by qualified Yamaha service personnel.

CAUTION

Water warning

• Do not expose the instrument to rain, use it near water or in
damp or wet conditions, or place containers on it containing
liquids which might spill into any openings.

• Never insert or remove an electric plug with wet hands.

Fire warning

• Do not put burning items, such as candles, on the unit.
A burning item may fall over and cause a fire.

If you notice any abnormality

• If the power cord or plug becomes frayed or damaged, or if
there is a sudden loss of sound during use of the instrument,
or if any unusual smells or smoke should appear to be caused
by it, immediately turn off the power switch, disconnect the
electric plug from the outlet, and have the instrument
inspected by qualified Yamaha service personnel.

Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of physical injury to you or
others, or damage to the instrument or other property. These precautions include, but are not limited
to, the following:

Power supply/Power cord

• When removing the electric plug from the instrument or an
outlet, always hold the plug itself and not the cord. Pulling by
the cord can damage it.

• Remove the electric plug from the outlet when the instrument
is not to be used for extended periods of time, or during
electrical storms.

• Do not connect the instrument to an electrical outlet using a
multiple-connector. Doing so can result in lower sound quality,
or possibly cause overheating in the outlet.

Assembling the keyboard stand

• Read carefully this manual or the attached documentation
explaining the assembly process. Failure to assemble the
stand in the proper sequence might result in damage to the
instrument or even injury.

Location

• Do not expose the instrument to excessive dust or vibrations,
or extreme cold or heat (such as in direct sunlight, near a
heater, or in a car during the day) to prevent the possibility of
panel disfiguration or damage to the internal components.

• Do not use the instrument in the vicinity of a TV, radio, stereo
equipment, mobile phone, or other electric devices.
Otherwise, the instrument, TV, or radio may generate noise.

• Do not place the instrument in an unstable position where it
might accidentally fall over.

• Before moving the instrument, remove all connected cables.

• Do not place objects in front of the instrument’s air vent, since
this may prevent adequate ventilation of the internal
components, and possibly result in the instrument
overheating.

(1)B-7

1/2

PF-500

3

Connections

• Before connecting the instrument to other electronic
components, turn off the power for all components. Before
turning the power on or off for all components, set all volume
levels to minimum. Also, be sure to set the volumes of all
components at their minimum levels and gradually raise the
volume controls while playing the instrument to set the desired
listening level.

Maintenance

• When cleaning the instrument, use a soft, dry or slightly damp
cloth. Do not use paint thinners, solvents, cleaning fluids, or
chemical-impregnated wiping cloths.

Handling caution

• Never insert or drop paper, metallic, or other objects into the
gaps on the panel or keyboard. If this happens, turn off the
power immediately and unplug the power cord from the AC
outlet. Then have the instrument inspected by qualified
Yamaha service personnel.

• Do not place vinyl, plastic or rubber objects on the instrument,
since this might discolor the panel or keyboard.

• Do not rest your weight on, or place heavy objects on the
instrument, and do not use excessive force on the buttons,
switches or connectors.

• Do not operate the instrument for a long period of time at a
high or uncomfortable volume level, since this can cause
permanent hearing loss. If you experience any hearing loss or
ringing in the ears, consult a physician.

Using the bench (If included)

• Do not place the bench in an unstable position where it might
accidentally fall over.

• Do not play carelessly with or stand on the bench. Using it as
a tool or step-ladder or for any other purpose might result in
accident or injury.

• Only one person should sit on the bench at a time, in order to
prevent the possibility of accident or injury.

• If the bench screws become loose due to extensive long-term
use, tighten them periodically using the included tool.

Saving data

Saving and backing up your data

• Current data (see page 43) is lost when you turn off the power
to the instrument. Save the data to the storage memory (see
page 43).

Yamaha cannot be held responsible for damage caused by improper use or modifications to the instrument, or data that is lost or
destroyed.

Always turn the power off when the instrument is not in use.

(1)B-7

PF-500

4

2/2

■

Thank you for choosing the Yamaha PF-500 electronic piano. In order to make the most of your

PF-500’s performance potential and features, please read this Owner’s Manual thoroughly, and

keep it in a safe place for later reference.

About this Owner’s Manual and Reference Booklet

This manual consists of four main sections: “Introduction,” “Basic Operation,” “Detailed Settings,” and “Appendix.”
Also, a separate “Reference Booklet” is provided.

Introduction:

Basic Operation:

Detailed Settings:

Appendix:

Reference Booklet:

• The illustrations and LCD screens as shown in this Owner’s Manual are for instructional purposes only,
and may appear somewhat different from those on your instrument.

• Copying of the commercially available software is strictry prohibited except for your personal use.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This product incorporates and bundles computer programs and contents in which Yamaha owns copy­rights or with respect to which it has license to use others’ copyrights. Such copyrighted materials include,
without limitation, all computer software, MIDI files, WAVE data and sound recordings. Any unauthorized
use of such programs and contents outside of personal use is not permitted under relevant laws. Any vio­lation of copyright has legal consequences. DON’T MAKE, DISTRIBUTE OR USE ILLEGALCOPIES.

Please read this section first. In the “Application Index” section on page 9 and “Features” on
page 12, you can learn how to use the PF-500 and its functions in particular situations.

This main section explains how to use the basic functions. Refer to this section while you
play the PF-500. If you have questions or come across the words you do not know, refer to
the section entitled “Questions about Operations and Functions” on page 90, or the
“Index” on page 102.

This section explains how to make detailed settings for the PF-500’s various functions.
Refer to this section as necessary.

This section introduces troubleshooting, a description of preset voices, and other reference
material.

XG Voice List, MIDI Data Format, etc.

Trademarks

• Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

• Windows is the registered trademark of Microsoft® Corporation.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

PF-500

5

Table of contents

Introduction.......................................................... 2

PRECAUTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 3

About this Owner’s Manual and Reference Booklet..................................................................................................... 5

Table of contents ................................................................................................................................... 6

Application Index ................................................................................................................................... 9

Included Accessories ............................................................................................................................ 11

Features ................................................................................................................................................ 12

Before Using the PF-500 ...................................................................................................................... 14

About the pedal unit ..................................................................................................................................................... 14

About the music stand.................................................................................................................................................. 14

Turning the power on................................................................................................................................................... 15

Adjusting the display contrast ...................................................................................................................................... 16

Setting the volume ........................................................................................................................................................ 16

Using headphones......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Basic Operation .................................................. 17

Part Names ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Listening to the Demonstration Tunes................................................................................................ 20

Listening to 50 Piano Preset Songs ..................................................................................................... 22

Playing the 50 piano preset songs ................................................................................................................................ 22

Practicing a one-hand part using 50 preset songs ....................................................................................................... 24

Selecting and Playing Voices ............................................................................................................... 26

Selecting Voices............................................................................................................................................................. 26

Using the pedals ............................................................................................................................................................ 27

Adding variation to the sound

[BRILLIANCE]/[REVERB]/[CHORUS] ..................................................................................................................... 28

Combining two voices (Dual mode)............................................................................................................................ 30

Splitting the keyboard range and playing two different voices (Split mode) ............................................................ 32

Using the metronome................................................................................................................................................... 34

Recording Your Performance............................................................................................................... 35

Recording a New Song.................................................................................................................................................. 35

Recording to [TRACK 1]........................................................................................................................................ 35

Re-recording TRACK 1........................................................................................................................................... 37

Re-recording TRACK 1 partially............................................................................................................................ 38

Recording to [TRACK2]......................................................................................................................................... 39

Recording to the third or more tracks [EXTRA TRACKS] .................................................................................. 40

Other recording techniques.......................................................................................................................................... 40

Adding data to or recording over an existing song ............................................................................................... 40

Changing a voice or tempo after recording ........................................................................................................... 41

Adjusting the volume balance between playback and your performance [SONG BALANCE] ......................... 42

Recording in Dual or Split mode ........................................................................................................................... 42

Saving Recorded Songs and Handling the Files...[FILE] ...................................................................... 43

PF-500 memory....................................................................................................................................................... 43

Basic file operation.................................................................................................................................................. 44

Saving recorded or other songs to PF-500 Storage memory...[SaveToMemory]...................................................... 45

Deleting a Memory song...[DeleteSong]...................................................................................................................... 46

PF-500

6

Table of contents

Renaming a song...[RenameSong] ............................................................................................................................... 47

Changing the type of characters on screen...[CharacterCode]................................................................................... 47

Playing Back Recorded Songs .............................................................................................................. 48

Playing back a song ....................................................................................................................................................... 48

Turning track playback on and off............................................................................................................................... 50

Supported song data type ............................................................................................................................................. 50

Connections ......................................................................................................................................... 51

Connectors .................................................................................................................................................................... 51

Connecting a personal computer................................................................................................................................. 53

Detailed Settings ................................................ 59

Detailed Settings.................................................................................................................................. 60

Parameter List ............................................................................................................................................................... 60

Making detailed settings ............................................................................................................................................... 63

Detailed settings for recording and playback [SONG SETTING] ........................................................ 65

Correcting note timing [Quantize].............................................................................................................................. 65

Specifying whether playback starts immediately along with the first voicing [QuickPlay]...................................... 66

Auditioning the channels [ChannelListen] ................................................................................................................. 66

Deleting data from each channel [ChannelClear]....................................................................................................... 66

Specifying the range and playing back repeatedly [FromToRepeat] ......................................................................... 66

Playing back the phrase specified by the phrase number [PhraseMark] ................................................................... 67

Playing back a song repeatedly [SongRepeat] ............................................................................................................. 67

Detailed settings for the metronome METRONOME [SETTING] ........................................................ 68

Setting the metronome time signature [TimeSignature]............................................................................................ 68

Setting the metronome volume level [MetronomeVolume]...................................................................................... 68

Selecting the metronome voice [MetronomeSound] ................................................................................................. 68

Detailed settings for the voices [VOICE SETTING] .............................................................................. 69

Setting the octave [Octave]........................................................................................................................................... 70

Setting the volume level [Volume] .............................................................................................................................. 70

Setting the position of right and left channels [Pan] .................................................................................................. 70

Make fine adjustments to the pitch (only in Dual mode) [Detune].......................................................................... 70

Selecting the reverb type [ReverbType]....................................................................................................................... 71

Setting the reverb depth [ReverbSend]........................................................................................................................ 71

Selecting the chorus type [Chorus Type]..................................................................................................................... 71

Setting the chorus depth [ChorusSend] ...................................................................................................................... 71

Setting the chorus on/off [ChorusOnOff]................................................................................................................... 72

Selecting the DSP type [DSP Type (DSP)] .................................................................................................................. 72

Setting the speed of the vibraphone vibrato effect [VibeRotorSpeed]....................................................................... 72

Turning the vibraphone vibrato effect on/off [VibeRotorOnOff (RotorOnOff)] .................................................... 73

Setting the rotation speed of the rotary speaker [RotarySpeed (Rot.Speed)]............................................................ 73

Adjusting the depth of the DSP effect [DSPDepth].................................................................................................... 73

Adjusting the brightness of the sound [Brightness].................................................................................................... 73

Adjusting the resonance effect [HarmonicContent (Harmonic)] ............................................................................. 73

Adjusting the low-range frequency of the equalizer [EQ LowFreq. (EQ L.Freq)] ....................................................74

Adjusting the low-range gain (amount of boost/cut) of the equalizer [EQ LowGain]............................................. 74

Adjusting the high-range frequency of the equalizer [EQ HighFreq. (EQ H.Freq)] ................................................ 74

Adjusting the high-range gain (amount of boost/cut) of the equalizer [EQ HighGain] .......................................... 74

PF-500

7

Table of contents

Setting the touch sensitivity [TouchSense].................................................................................................................. 75

Setting the right pedal function [RPedal].................................................................................................................... 75

Setting the center pedal function [MPedal] ................................................................................................................ 75

Setting the left pedal function [LPedal]....................................................................................................................... 76

Setting the auxiliary pedal function [AuxPedal] ......................................................................................................... 76

MIDI [MIDI SETTING]........................................................................................................................... 77

About MIDI................................................................................................................................................................... 77

Setting the MIDI transmit channel [MidiOutChannel] ............................................................................................. 78

Setting the MIDI receive channel [MidiInChannel]................................................................................................... 78

Setting Local control on/off [LocalControl]................................................................................................................ 79

Selecting performance from the keyboard or song data for MIDI transmission [MidiOutSelect].......................... 79

Selecting a type of data received via MIDI [ReceiveParameter]................................................................................. 79

Selecting a type of data transmitted via MIDI [TransmitParameter] ........................................................................ 79

Transmitting the initial settings on the panel [InitialSetup] ...................................................................................... 80

Executing voice data bulk dump [VoiceBulkDump].................................................................................................. 80

Other settings ...................................................................................................................................... 81

Selecting a touch response [TouchResponse] ............................................................................................................. 81

Fine tuning the pitch [Tune]........................................................................................................................................ 81

Selecting a tuning curve for a piano voice [PianoTuningCurve]............................................................................... 81

Selecting a scale [Scale]................................................................................................................................................. 82

Specifying the Split Point [SplitPoint]......................................................................................................................... 82

Changing the key [Transpose] ..................................................................................................................................... 82

Adjusting the depth of the Soft pedal [SoftPedalDepth] ............................................................................................ 83

Depth of string resonance [StringResonanceDepth] .................................................................................................. 83

Depth of sustain sampling for the damper pedal [SustainSamplingDepth].............................................................. 83

Specify the volume of the key-off sound [KeyOffSamplingDepth] ........................................................................... 83

Selecting a pedal function for vibraphone [VibraphonePedalMode]........................................................................ 83

Assign the SONG [START/STOP] function to the pedal [PedalStart/Stop]............................................................. 84

Selecting a type of auxiliary pedal [AuxPedalType].................................................................................................... 84

Setting the point at which the damper pedal starts to affect the sound [HalfPedalPoint] ....................................... 84

Pitch bend range [PitchBendRange]............................................................................................................................ 84

Switch the speaker on/off [Speaker] ............................................................................................................................ 85

Selecting items saved at shutdown [MemoryBackUp] ............................................................................................... 85

Restoring the normal (default) settings [FactorySet] ................................................................................................. 85

Other method for restoring the normal settings ......................................................................................................... 85

Message List ......................................................................................................................................... 86

Questions about Operations and Functions ........................................................................................90

Appendix ............................................................ 93

Troubleshooting................................................................................................................................... 94

Data Compatibility ............................................................................................................................... 95

Preset Voice List ................................................................................................................................... 97

Voice Combination Examples (Dual and Split) ................................................................................... 99

Assembling the Keyboard Stand ....................................................................................................... 100

Index................................................................................................................................................... 102

PF-500

8

Application Index

Use this index to find reference pages that may be helpful for your application and situation.

Listening

Listening to demo songs...............................................“Listening to the Demonstration Tunes” on page 20

“Playing the 50 piano preset songs” on page 22

Listening to demo songs with different voices............“Listening to the Demonstration Tunes” on page 20

Listening to songs from “50 greats for the Piano” ..............“Playing the 50 piano preset songs” on page 22

Listening to my recorded performance ............................................ “Recording to [TRACK 1]” on page 35

“Playing back a song” on page 48

Playing

Using three pedals.............................................................................................“Using the pedals” on page 27

Playing an accompaniment that matches pitch .......................“Changing the key [Transpose]” on page 82

Changing tonal color

Viewing the list of voices.................................................................................. “Preset Voice List” on page 97

Simulating a concert hall........................................................................................... “[REVERB]” on page 29

Combining two voices ..................................................... “Combining two voices (Dual mode)” on page 30

Playing different sounds with left and right hands

...........................“Splitting the keyboard range and playing two different voices (Split mode)” on page 32

Making a voice brighter and sharper, or softer and smoother ........................“[BRILLIANCE]” on page 28

Adding spread to the sound.................................................................................... “[CHORUS]” on page 29

Practicing

Muting the right- or left-hand part ........... “Practicing a one-hand part using 50 preset songs” on page 24

Practicing with an accurate and steady tempo.......................................“Using the metronome” on page 34

Practicing using your recorded song ..........................................“Recording Your Performance” on page 35

“Turning track playback on and off” on page 50

Recording

Recording your performance...................................................... “Recording Your Performance” on page 35

Saving recorded songs to memory...“Saving Recorded Songs and Handling the Files...[FILE]” on page 43

PF-500

9

Application Index

Use this index to find reference pages that may be helpful for your application and situation.

Settings

Making detailed settings for recording and playback

............................................“Detailed settings for recording and playback [SONG SETTING]” on page 65

Making detailed settings for the metronome

......................................... “Detailed settings for the metronome METRONOME [SETTING]” on page 68

Making detailed settings for the voices

................................................................. “Detailed settings for the voices [VOICE SETTING]” on page 69

Making detailed settings for MIDI ....................................................“MIDI [MIDI SETTING]” on page 77

Making detailed settings for the PF-500..............................................................“Other settings” on page 81

Connecting the PF-500 to other devices

What is MIDI?......................................................................................................... “About MIDI” on page 77

Recording your performance “AUX OUT [R][L] Pin jacks (LEVEL FIXED), [R][L/L+R] Phone jacks” on
page 52

Raising the volume .. “AUX OUT [R][L] Pin jacks (LEVEL FIXED), [R][L/L+R] Phone jacks” on page 52

Outputting other instruments’ sound from the PF-500............... “AUX IN [R], [L/L+R] jacks” on page 51

Connecting a computer........................................................ “Connecting a personal computer” on page 53

Assembling the keyboard stand

Using the stand ..................................................................... “Assembling the Keyboard Stand” on page 100

Quick solution

What the PF-500 offers.................................................................................... “Application Index” on page 9

“Features” on page 12

Returning to the main screen................................................................................. “EXIT button” on page 18

Resetting the PF-500 to the default setting

................................................................“Restoring the normal (default) settings [FactorySet]” on page 85

Meaning of the messages........................................................................................ “Message List” on page 86

If you have questions about operations and functions

.............................................................................. “Questions about Operations and Functions” on page 90

Troubleshooting............................................................................................... “Troubleshooting” on page 94

10

PF-500

Included Accessories

Pedal Unit

Keyboard Stand

Music Stand

Bench (included or optional depending on locale)

Dust Cover (included or optional depending on locale)

Owner’s Manual

Reference Booklet

PF-500

11

Features

The Yamaha PF-500 electronic piano features rich sounds produced by Yamaha’s proprietary “AWM dynamic stereo

sampling” tone generator system and a “ Graded Hammer” keyboard that varies the key weight according to the key

range, giving these electronic pianos a “playing-feel” that is very close to the keyboard of a genuine grand piano. The
PF-500 GrandPiano1 voice features 3 velocity-switched samples ( Dynamic Sampling ), “ String Resonance ”
(page 83) that recreates resonance of piano strings, special “ Sustain Sampling ” (page 83)that samples the unique res­onance of an acoustic grand piano’s soundboard and strings when the damper pedal is pressed, and “

ples

” that add the subtle sound produced when the keys are released. The PF-500 comes much closer to the sound of

a true acoustic piano.

Key-off Sam-

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

These jacks allow you to
connect an external tone
generator to reproduce the
sound via the PF-500’s
internal sound system and
speakers. (page 51)

L/L+R

Connect an optional pedal
here and assign one of
the various functions to
the pedal. (page 52)

DEMO TEMPO

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

METRONOME

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

2

1

SONG SELECT

START

TOP

/

STOP

REC

SYNCHRO START

NEW SONG

SONG

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

FILE

SONG
SETTING

UPDOWN

C

GRAND

E.PIANO

GRAND

E.PIANO

CONTRAST

B

PIANO 2

2

PIANO 1

1

JAZZ

CHURCH

ORGAN

ORGAN

STRINGS

CHOIR

EXIT

D

You can output the sound of
the PF-500 from an external
audio system, or connect it to
a cassette tape recorder etc.
and record your playing.
(page 52)

AUX IN

R

PEDAL TO HOST USB

AUX OUT

L/L+R

AUX PEDALAC INLET

RL R

LEVEL FIXED

MIDI

IN THRUOUT

PHONES

HOST SELECT

MIDI PC-2 USBMac

Connect a MIDI device
here to use various MIDI
functions. (page 52, 56)
(About MIDI—page 77)

This jack and selector switch allow di­rect connection to a personal computer
for sequencing and other music appli­cations. (page 53–58)

VOICE

VIBRA-

HARPSI-

E.CLAVI-

SETTING

PHONE

CHORD

CHORD

GUITAR

SYNTH.

WOOD

PAD

BASS

E.BASS XG

VOICE

SPLIT CHORUSREVERB

VARIATION BRIGHTMELLOW

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

BRILLIANCE

SETTING

EFFECT

A set of standard
stereo headphones
can be plugged in
here for private prac­tice. (page 16)

POWER

ON OFF

This connector can be
connected to your com­puter, allowing you to
transfer MIDI data be­tween the PF-500 and
the computer. (page 52)

12

PF-500

Features

SONG select buttons

This section enables you to
listen to 50 piano preset
songs, as well as to prac­tice playing the songs using
a convenient Practice func­tion. You can also record
and play back your perfor­mance.
(page 22, 35, 48)

[MASTER VOLUME]

Adjust the volume
level using this dial.
(page 16)

[DEMO]

Demonstration
playback is
available for each
voice. (page 20)

[FILE]

Save recorded songs and
manage song files. (page 43)

[METRONOME]

Use the metronome
functions. (page 34)

Voice group buttons

You can choose from sixteen groups of
voices, including grand piano.
You can also combine two sounds and use
them together. (page 26)

[CONTRAST]

Adjust the bright­ness of the display
using this control.
(page 16)

[MIDI SETTING]

Make detailed MIDI settings,
such as MIDI receive/transmit
channels. (page 77)

[REVERB] / [CHORUS]

Add reverb (reverberation) and spread
(chorus) to the sound. (page 29)

[SPLIT]

You can play different
voices on the left- and
right-hand sections of the
keyboard. (page 32)

METRONOME

SETTINGSTART/STOP

FILE

SONG

REC

SETTING

UPDOWN

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

2

1

SONG SELECT

START

/

STOP

TOP

SYNCHRO START

NEW SONG

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

DEMO TEMPO

SONG

[SONG SETTING]

Make detailed settings for

song recording and playback.

(page 65)

[SONG BALANCE]

This lets you adjust the volume
balance between the song playback
and the sound you are playing on
the keyboard. (page 42)

TEMPO [DOWN] [UP]

You can change the song tempo (speed).
(page 23, 34, 36, 48)

A

C

The display
allows accu­rate control
and operation.

NO YES

CONTRAST

B

D

GRAND

PIANO 1

PIANO 2

CHURCH

JAZZ

ORGAN

ORGAN

EXIT

STRINGS

E.CLAVI-

E.PIANO

HARPSI-

1

CHORD

2

CHORD

SYNTH.

WOOD

PAD

BASS

CHOIR

VOICE

GRAND

E.PIANO

[EXIT]

The screen returns to its
main display when you
press this button. (page 19)

VIBRA­PHONE

E.BASS XG

GUITAR

VOICE

SETTING

SPLIT CHORUSREVERB

VARIATION BRIGHTMELLOW

(page 19)

[VOICE SETTING] / [VARIATION]

You can make detailed settings for
tone and effects. (page 69)

BRILLIANCE [MELLOW] [BRIGHT]

Adjust the brightness of the tone using these
buttons. (page 28)

[OTHER SETTING]

This lets you make detailed settings, such as adjusting the
keyboard touch or making fine adjustments to the pitch.
(page 81)

BRILLIANCE

EFFECT

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

SETTING

PF-500

13

Before Using the PF-500

You do not need to install the stand to play the PF-500. However, if you wish to assemble the stand, refer to
page 100.

About the pedal unit

Insert the plug of the pedal unit, with the
arrow in the plug facing upward.

About the music stand

The PF-500 is supplied with a music stand that
can be attached to the instrument by inserting
it into the holes at the rear of the control panel.

A

L

U

/
L

X

+
R

I
N

R

L

/
L
+
R

A

U
X

O
U

T

R

A
C

I
N
L

E

L

T

L
E

V
E
L

F
I
X
E

D

R

P
E
D

A
L

P
H
O

N

A

E

U

S

X

P
E

D
A

L

P
O

W

M

E
I
D

O

R

N

I

O
F
F

H

I
N

O
S

T

M

S

I
D

E

I

L
E

P
C

C

-

T

2
M

O

a

U

c

T

T

U

O

S
B

H
O

S
T

T
H
R

U

U
S

B

14

PF-500

Before Using the PF-500

Turning the power on

1. Connect the power cable.

First insert the plug of the power cable into the [AC INLET] on the left side panel, then plug the other end
of the cable into the proper AC outlet on the wall.

12

AC INLET

A

L

U

/
L

X

+
R

I
N

R

L
/
L
+

R

A

U
X

O
U

T

R

A
C

I
N
L
E

L

T

L

E
V
E

L
F
I
X

E
D

R

P
E
D

A
L

P

H
O
N

A

E

U

S

X

P
E

D
A

L

P
O

W

M

E
I
D

O

R

N

I

O
F
F

H

I
N

O

S
T

M

S

I
D

E

I

L

E

P
C

C

-

T

2

M

O

a

U

c

T

T

U

O

S
B

H

O
S

T

T
H
R
U

U
S
B

240V

V
0
2

2

1

1

V

0

0

V

3

1

(The shape of plug differs
depending on locale.)

VOLTAGE SELECTOR

WARNING!

Make sure your PF-500 is rated for the AC voltage supplied in the area in which it is to be used (voltage rating appears
on the name plate on the bottom panel). In some areas, a voltage selector may be provided on the bottom panel of the
main keyboard unit. Make sure that the voltage selector is set for the voltage in your area. Connecting the unit to the
wrong AC supply can cause serious damage to the internal circuitry and may even pose a shock hazard!

Use only the AC power cord supplied with the PF-500. If the supplied cord is lost or damaged and needs to be replaced,
contact your Yamaha dealer. The use of an inappropriate replacement can pose a fire and shock hazard!

The type of AC power cord provided with the PF-500 may be different depending on the country in which it is purchased.
(In some areas a plug adaptor may be provided to match the pin configuration of the AC wall outlets in your area.) Do
NOT modify the plug provided with the PF-500. If the plug will not fit the outlet, have a proper outlet installed by a quali­fied electrician.

2. Turn on the power to the PF-500.

Press the [POWER] switch located on the left side panel to turn on the power.

• The screen located in the center of the front panel lights up.

A

L

U

/
L

X

+
R

I

N

R

L
/
L
+

R

A
U
X

O

U
T

R

A

C
I
N
L
E

L

T

L
E
V

E
L
F

I
X
E
D

R

P
E
D

A
L

P

H
O

N

A

E

U

S
X
P

E
D

A
L

P
O
W

M

E
I
D

O

R

N

I

O
F
F

H

I
N

O

S
T

M

S

I
D

E

I

L

E

P
C

C

-

T

2

M

O

a

U

c

T

T

U

O

S

B

H
O

S
T

T

H
R
U

U
S

B

POWER

ON OFF

[POWER]

Press the [POWER] switch again to turn off the power to the PF-500.

A

C

When you turn on the power to the PF-500, a voice
name appears on the screen.

B

NO YES

D

PF-500 15

Before Using the PF-500

Adjusting the display contrast

You can adjust the contrast of the display by turning the [CONTRAST] knob located to the right of the LCD.

A

C

Setting the volume

To adjust the volume, use the [MASTER VOLUME] located at the left of the panel. Play the keyboard to actu­ally produce sound while you adjust the volume.

B

NO YES

D

CONTRAST

EXITEXIT

Use this knob.

TERMINOLOGY

CONTRAST:

difference between
brightness and dark­ness

The level
decreases.

The level
increases.

TERMINOLOGY

MASTER VOLUME:

The volume level of the
entire keyboard sound

TIP

MAXMIN

MASTER VOLUME

CAUTION

Do not use the PF-500 at a
high volume level for a long
period of time, or your
hearing may be damaged.

You can also adjust the
[PHONES] output level, the
AUX IN input level and the
AUX OUT [L/L+R][R] output
level using the [MASTER
VOLUME] dial.

Using headphones

Connect a pair of headphones to one of the [PHONES] on the left side panel.
Two [PHONES] jacks are provided. Two sets of standard stereo headphones can be plugged in. (If you are
using only one pair of headphones, you can plug them into either of these jacks.)

CAUTION

Do not use headphones at a high vol­ume for an extended period of time.
Doing so may cause hearing loss.

16 PF-500

PHONES

A

L

U

/
L

X

+
R

I
N

R

L

/
L
+
R

A
U

X
O

U
T

R

A

C
I
N

L
E

L

T

L
E
V

E
L
F
I
X

E
D

R

P
E
D
A

L

P
H
O

N

A

E

U

S

X

P
E
D

A
L

P

O
W

M

E
I
D

O

R

N

I

O
F
F

H

I
N

O

S
T

M

S

I
D

E

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L

E

P
C

C

-

T

2

M

O

a

U

c

T

T

U

O

S

B

H

O
S

T

T
H
R

U

U
S
B

Basic Operation

PF-500 17

Part Names

1

C

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

B

B

NO YES

D

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

2 3

D

CONTRAST

EXIT

E

DEMO TEMPO

CHURCH

SONG SELECT

NEW SONG

4

GRAND

PIANO 1

ORGAN

GRAND
PIANO 2

JAZZ

ORGAN

TRACK

1

TOP

SYNCHRO START

SONG

7

E.PIANO

STRINGS

START

5

TRACK

HARPSI­CHORD

SYNTH.

PAD

VOICE

E.CLAVI-

CHORD

WOOD

BASS

PHONE

E.BASS XG

E.PIANO

1

2

CHOIR

VIBRA-

0

6

EXTRA

TRACKS

REC

8

FILE

SONG

SETTING

9

2

/

STOP

METRONOME

A

F

M

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

SETTING

N

GUITAR

G H

VOICE

SETTING

SPLIT CHORUSREVERB

VARIATION BRIGHTMELLOW

K

I J

BRILLIANCE

EFFECT

L

B

SETTINGSTART/STOP

UPDOWN

A

C

C

O

P

Q

C0 D0 E0 F0 G0 A0 B0 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 A1 B1 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2 B2 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4

B-1A-1

Top panel

[MASTER VOLUME]............................. P16

1

2 SONG BALANCE..................................P42

3 [DEMO] ...............................................P20

4 SONG SELECT [ ] [ ] ........P22, 35, 48

5 [TRACK1] [TRACK2] /

[EXTRA TRACKS] ............... P24, 35–40, 50

6 [FILE] ...................................................P43

7 [TOP] / SONG [START/STOP]

................................................ P22, 36, 49

8 [REC] ................................................... P34

9 [SONG SETTING] ................................ P65

0 METRONOME [START/STOP] /

[SETTING] .....................................P34, 68

A TEMPO [DOWN] [UP] .......P23, 34, 36, 49

B LCD buttons A [–] [+] / B [– (NO)] [+ (YES)] /

C [–] [+] / D [–] [+] ..............................P19

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

FILE

2

1

SONG

START

TOP

/

STOP

SONG SELECT

REC

SETTING

SYNCHRO START

NEW SONG

DEMO TEMPO

SONG

METRONOME

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

UPDOWN

C

GRAND

HARPSI-

VIBRA-

GRAND

CONTRAST

B

PIANO 1

CHURCH
ORGAN

EXIT

D

VOICE

E.PIANO

E.PIANO

E.CLAVI-

PIANO 2

CHORD

PHONE

SETTING

1

2

CHORD

GUITAR

JAZZ

ORGAN

SPLIT CHORUSREVERB

SYNTH.

WOOD

BRILLIANCE

PAD

BASS

VARIATION BRIGHTMELLOW

STRINGS

CHOIR

E.BASS XG

EFFECT

VOICE

C5 D5 E5 F5 G5 A5 B5 C6 D6 E6 F6 G6 A6 B6 C7

]

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER
SETTING

Center “C”

C LCD screen ..........................................P19

D [CONTRAST] knob ..............................P16

E [EXIT]...................................................P19

F Voice group buttons ...........................P26

G [VOICE SETTING] ................................P69

H [SPLIT] ................................................. P32

I [REVERB] ............................................. P29

J [CHORUS]............................................P29

K VARIATION [▼] [▲].............................P26

L BRILLIANCE [MELLOW] [BRIGHT] ......P28

M [MIDI SETTING] ..................................P77

N [OTHER SETTING] ...............................P81

O Soft pedal............................................P27

P Sostenuto pedal ..................................P27

Q Damper pedal .....................................P27

18 PF-500

Connectors (Left side panel)

Part Names

R AUX IN ............................................... P51

S AUX OUT ........................................... P52

T [PHONES] .......................................... P16

U [POWER ON/OFF].............................. P15

V [AC INLET] ......................................... P15

X [AUX PEDAL] ...................................... P52

Y MIDI [IN] [OUT] [THRU] .................... P52

Z HOST SELECT .....................................P52

[ [TO HOST] .......................................... P52

\ [USB] ..................................................P52

W [PEDAL]...................................... P14, 101

R

AUX IN

R

L/L+R

PEDAL TO HOST USB

WV X Z [ \

AUX OUT

L/L+R

AUX PEDALAC INLET

S

RL R

LEVEL FIXED

MIDI

IN THRUOUT

Y

T U

PHONES

HOST SELECT

MIDI PC-2 USBMac

POWER

ON OFF

] Panel logos

GM System Level 1

“GM System Level 1” is an addition to the MIDI standard which guarantees that any data conforming to
the standard will play accurately on any GM-compatible tone generator or synthesizer from any manufac­turer.

XG Format

XG is a new Yamaha MIDI specification which significantly expands and
improves on the “GM System Level 1” standard with greater voice han­dling capacity, expressive control, and effect capability while retaining full
compatibility with GM.

C LCD

Use the LCD button A, B, C, or D to select the contents dis­played on the LCD.
Check the screen located in the center of the top panel after
every operation. A voice name appears on the screen when
you turn on the power to the unit.

E [EXIT] button

When you press this button, the unit returns to the default screen (the
screen that indicates a voice name(s) and is displayed when the power is
turned on).

A

C

B

NO YES

D

PF-500 19

Listening to the Demonstration Tunes

For each voice group, the PF-500 contains one demo song that shows off the character of the voices.
This section explains how to listen to the demo songs for the voice groups listed below.

Demonstration tunes

Voice group Tunes Composer

HARPSICHORD Gavotte J.S.Bach

The demonstration pieces listed above are short rearranged excerpts the original
compositions.
All other songs are original (©2002 Yamaha Corporation).

1 4

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

1

2

FILE

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

SONG SELECT

TOP

NEW SONG

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

DEMO TEMPO

SYNCHRO START

SONG

/

STOP

START

REC

SETTING

SONG

3

Procedure

1. Engage the demo mode.

Press the [DEMO] button to engage the demo mode.

The indicators of the voice group buttons will blink in succession.

METRONOME

2 3

GRAND

CONTRAST

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

UPDOWN

C

NO YES

B

D

GRAND

PIANO 1

PIANO 2

CHURCH

JAZZ

ORGAN

ORGAN

EXITEXIT

Voice
group buttons

E.PIANO

HARPSI-

E.CLAVI-

E.PIANO

1

CHORD

CHORD

2

SYNTH.

WOOD

PAD

CHOIR

STRINGS

VOICE

VOICE

VIBRA-

SETTING

PHONE

GUITAR

SPLIT

REVERB CHORUS

BASS

XG

E.BASS

VARIATIO N BRIGHTMELLOW

BRILLIANCE

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

SETTING

EFFECT

4

TERMINOLOGY

Mode:

A mode is a status under
which you can execute a
certain function. In demo
mode, you can play back
demonstration tunes.

20 PF-500

Listening to the Demonstration Tunes

2. Select a tune and start playback.

Press the voice group button for the demo song that you
want to hear.

The indicator of the voice group button you pressed will light, and the
demo song will begin playing. Subsequently, the demo songs will play
back consecutively from the upper left voice group button until you
stop the playback.

3. Stop the playback.

Press the button of the voice group being played or the
SONG [START/STOP] button.

4. Exit from demo mode.

Press the [DEMO] or [EXIT] button to exit from demo
mode.

By holding down [DEMO] and pressing A[–][+] to get the [Piano­Demo] display, you can hear the piano demo. The piano demo lets
you compare the result of enabling/disabling each sampling tech­nology.

NOTE

To adjust the volume level of
the demo songs, use the
[MASTER VOLUME] dial.

TIP

To adjust the volume bal­ance between the song
playback and the sound you
are playing on the keyboard,
use the [SONG BALANCE]
slider (page 42) .

GRAND PIANO1 ................. Stereo Piano (stereo sampling)

GRAND PIANO2 ................. Mono Piano (mono sampling)

E.PIANO1 ............................ mezzo piano (dynamic sampling,

mezzopiano)

E.PIANO2 ............................ mezzo forte (dynamic sampling, mez-

zoforte)

HARPSICHORD .................. forte (dynamic sampling, forte)

E.CLAVICHORD.................. with Sustain (with sustain sampling)

VIBRAPHONE ..................... no Sustain (without sustain sampling)

GUITAR ............................... with KeyOff (with key-off sampling)

CHURCH ORGAN............... no KeyOff (without key-off sampling)

JAZZ ORGAN...................... with StringRes (with string reso-

nance)

STRINGS............................. no StringRes (without string reso-

nance)

PF-500 21

Listening to 50 Piano Preset Songs

The PF-500 provides performance data of 50 piano songs. You can just listen to these songs (page 22) or use
them for practice (page 24). See page 34 in the Reference Booklet for a complete listening of the preset songs.

Playing the 50 piano preset songs

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

SONG SELECT

NEW SONG

DEMO TEMPO

Procedure

1. Select a song.

Press one of the [SONG SELECT] buttons repeatedly to
select the desired piano song from P-001 to P-050.

Song select screen

A

C

The song number appears on the display.

1

METRONOME [START/STOP]

METRONOME

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

1

2

FILE

SONG

START

TOP

/

STOP

REC

SYNCHRO START

SETTING

SONG

23 4

TEMPO [DOWN] [UP]

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

UPDOWN

C

NO YES

NO YES

GRAND

E.PIANO

CONTRAST

B

EXITEXIT

D

GRAND

PIANO 1

PIANO 2

CHURCH
ORGAN

ORGAN

HARPSI-

E.CLAVI-

E.PIANO

1

CHORD

CHORD

2

SYNTH.

JAZZ

STRINGS

WOOD

PAD

CHOIR

VOICE

VOICE

VIBRA-

SETTING

PHONE

GUITAR

SPLIT

REVERB CHORUS

BASS

E.BASS

XG

VARIATION BRIGHTMELLOW

BRILLIANCE

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

SETTING

EFFECT

TERMINOLOGY

Song:

On the PF-500, perfor­mance data is called a
“Song.” This includes dem-

B

D

onstration tunes and piano
preset tunes.

22 PF-500

2. Play a preset song.

Press the SONG [START/STOP] button to start playback.

A

C

the number of measures

B

NO YES

D

TIP

• You can also use the C
[–]/[+] buttons to select a
song after pressing the
[SONG SELECT] button.

• [P-000: NewSong] is a
blank song provided for
you to record your perfor­mance. (See page 35.)

• Use the SongRepeat
parameter in the “SONG
SETTING” menu to
select repeat playback of
all songs or repeat play­back of a single song.
(See page 67.)

TIP

You can play the keyboard
along with the preset song
playback. You can change the
voice playing on the keyboard.

Adjusting the tempo

Listening to 50 Piano Preset Songs

You can use the TEMPO [DOWN]/[UP] buttons to adjust the playback
tempo as required. The default tempo (the song’s original tempo) is set when
you press the [DOWN] and [UP] buttons simultaneously.

Press either of the SONG SELECT [ ]/[ ] buttons to return to the song
select screen.

A

A

C

C

B

B

NO YES

D

D

3. Stop the song playback.

When playback is complete, it automatically stops and the PF-500
locates the top of the song. To stop playback in the middle of a song,
press the [TOP] button. You can also pause playback by pressing the
SONG [START/STOP] button. Playback stops when you press the
button.

Fast forward and rewind

You can perform the following operations in the song select screen:

• Use the B [–]/[+] buttons to move back and forth (rewind and fast for­ward) through the song while the song is played or stopped.

• Press the SONG SELECT [ ] or the C [–] button during playback to
restart playback from the top of the song.

• Press the SONG SELECT [ ] or the C [+] button during playback to
start playback from the next song.

• Press the SONG SELECT [ ] or the C [–] button while playback is
stopped in the middle of the song to locate the top of the song.

TIP

You can also use the D[–]/[+]
buttons to change the tempo.

NOTE

Resetting the tempo

Whenever you select a new
preset song, the tempo is
automatically reset to the
song’s original value.

4. Return to the default screen.

Press the [EXIT] button.

TERMINOLOGY

Default screen:

The default screen is a voice
select screen (page 26) that
appears when you turn on
the power to the PF-500.

PF-500 23

Listening to 50 Piano Preset Songs

Practicing a one-hand part using 50 preset songs

The 50 preset songs have separate left- and right-hand parts on individual tracks. You can turn the left- and
right-hand parts on or off as required so you can practice the corresponding part (the part that is turned off)
on the keyboard. The right-hand part is played by [TRACK 1] and the left-hand part is played by [TRACK 2].

1

METRONOME

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

FILE

SONG

REC

SETTING

UPDOWN

C

NO YES

B

D

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

1

TOP

SYNCHRO START

2

/

STOP

START

SONG

SONG SELECT

NEW SONG

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

DEMO TEMPO

23

procedure

1. Turn off the playback part you wish to practice.

After you select a song to practice, press the [TRACK1] or
[TRACK2] button to turn off the corresponding part.

When you first select a song, both [TRACK1] and [TRACK2] indica­tors light up, indicating that you can play back both parts. When you
press one of the buttons to turn off playback, the corresponding but­ton indicator turns off and the corresponding part playback is muted.
Pressing the buttons repeatedly toggles between playback on and off.

2. Start playback and playing.

Press the SONG [START/STOP] button to start playback.
Play the part you just turned off.

CONTRAST

GRAND

E.PIANO

GRAND

PIANO 1

PIANO 2

CHURCH

JAZZ

ORGAN

EXITEXIT

ORGAN

HARPSI-

E.CLAVI-

E.PIANO

1

CHORD

CHORD

2

SYNTH.

WOOD

PAD

STRINGS

BASS

CHOIR

VOICE

VOICE

VIBRA-

SETTING

PHONE

GUITAR

SPLIT

REVERB CHORUS

BRILLIANCE

VARIATIO N BRIGHTMELLOW

E.BASS

XG

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

SETTING

EFFECT

TIP

You can turn parts on or off,
even during playback.

24 PF-500

Starting playback automatically as you start playing the
keyboard (Synchro Start)

You can cause playback to begin when you play the keyboard (Syn­chro Start).
Hold down [TOP] and press SONG [START/STOP]. The SONG
[START/STOP] indicator will blink, and the PF-500 will wait for Syn­cro Start.
Now when you play the keyboard, playback will begin at the same
moment.
If you press [TOP] while waiting, Synchro Start will be cancelled.

TERMINOLOGY

Synchro:

Synchronous;occurring at the
same time

3. Stop playback.

Listening to 50 Piano Preset Songs

When playback is complete, it automatically stops and the PF-500
locates the top of the song. If you wish to stop playback in the middle
of a song, press the [TOP] button. You can also pause playback by
pressing the SONG [START/STOP] button. Playback stops when you
press the button.

You can also assign a phrase in a song to repeatedly practice that part. Refer to
the [FromToRepeat] option in the “SONG SETTING” menu on page 66.

TIP

Resetting the part play­back

Both parts are automatically
turned ON whenever you
select a new song.

PF-500 25

Selecting and Playing Voices

Selecting Voices

Voice

2

1

group buttons

2

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

1

NEW SONG

TOP

SYNCHRO START

SONG

2

/

STOP

START

REC

SONG SELECT

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

DEMO TEMPO

METRONOME

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

FILE

SONG

SETTING

UPDOWN

C

NO YES

B

D

CONTRAST

GRAND

GRAND

PIANO 1

PIANO 2

CHURCH

ORGAN

ORGAN

EXITEXIT

Procedure

1. Select a voice group.

Press a voice group button.

2. Select a voice.

Use VARIATION [

If you select XG

If you select XG, you can select the XG voice group first, then select the
desired voice.

2-1. Simultaneously press the [–][+] screen buttons located

beside the XG voice name display, to access a screen
where you can select XG voices.

2-2. Use A [–][+] to select the voice group.

2-3. Use C [–][+] to select the desired voice.

Voice group Voice name Voice group Voice name

GrandPiano1

GRANDPIANO1

GRANDPIANO2

E.PIANO1

E.PIANO2

HARPSICHORD

E.CLAVICHORD

VIBRAPHONE

GUITAR

• For details on XG voices, refer to “XG voice list” (the separate data list booklet).

MellowPiano PipeOrganTutti
RockPiano PipeOrganFlute1
HonkyTonkPiano PipeOrganFlute2
GrandPiano2
BrightPiano RotaryOrgan
E.Piano1 MellowOrgan
SynthPiano
E.Piano2 SynthStrings
Vintage E.Piano SlowStrings
Harpsichord8'
Harpsichord8'+4' SlowChoir
E.Clavichord Scat
Wah Clavi.
Vibraphone SynthPad2
Marimba
Celesta Bass&Cymbal
NylonGuitar
SteelGuitar FretlessBass

▼][▲] or A [–][+] to select a voice.

PipeOrganPrincipal

CHURCHORGAN

JazzOrgan

JAZZORGAN

Strings

STRINGS

Choir

CHOIR

SYNTH.PAD

WOOD BASS

E.BASS

XG XGVoice

SynthPad1

WoodBass

ElectricBass

E.PIANO

HARPSI-

E.CLAVI-

E.PIANO

1

CHORD

CHORD

2

SYNTH.

JAZZ

STRINGS

WOOD

PAD

BASS

CHOIR

VOICE

VOICE

VIBRA-

SETTING

PHONE

GUITAR

SPLIT

REVERB CHORUS

BRILLIANCE

VARIATIO N BRIGHTMELLOW

E.BASS

XG

EFFECT

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER
SETTING

TERMINOLOGY

Voice

On the PF-500, a voice
means “tone” or “tonal color.”

TIP

You can also switch between
voices in the same group by
pressing a voice group but­ton repeatedly.

TIP

To learn characteristics of
the voices, listen to demo
songs for each voice group
(page 20). Refer to “Preset
Voice List” on page 97 for
more information on charac­teristics of each preset voice.

TIP

You can control the loudness of
a voice by how hard you play
the keyboard, although differ­ent playing styles (touch sensi­tivities) have little or no effect
with the sound of certain musi­cal instruments. Refer to “Pre­set Voice List” on page 97.

TIP

XG is a major enhancement
of the GM System level 1
format, and was developed
by Yamaha specially to pro­vide more voices and varia­tions, as well as greater
expressive control over
voices and effects, and to
ensure compatibility of data
well into the future.

TIP

If you select XG and then
simultaneously press the
VARIATION [

▼][▲] buttons,

the XG voice select screen
will appear.

26 PF-500

Using the pedals

The PF-500 has three foot pedals: damper pedal (right), sostenuto pedal
(center), and soft pedal (left) that produce a range of expressive effects
similar to those produced by the pedals on an acoustic piano.

Selecting and Playing Voices

Damper (right) pedal

When you press the damper pedal, the notes
you play have a longer sustain.
When you select Grand Piano 1, pressing the
damper pedal activates the instrument’s special
“Sustain Samples” to accurately recreate the
unique resonance of an acoustic grand piano’s
soundboard and strings.

Sostenuto (center) pedal

If you play a note or chord on the keyboard
and press the sostenuto pedal while holding
the note(s), the notes will sustain as long as
the pedal is held. All subsequent notes will
not sustain.















When you press the damper
pedal here, the notes you
play before you release the
pedal have a longer sustain.















When you press the sostenuto
pedal here while holding the
note(s), the notes will sustain
as long as you hold the pedal.

TIP

If the damper pedal doesn’t
work, or notes are sustained
even when the pedal is not
pressed, make sure that the
pedal cord is properly
plugged into the PEDAL jack
on the unit (see page 14).
Also, make sure that the
RPedal parameter in the
“VOICE SETTING” menu is
set to ON (see page 75).

TIP

You can adjust the depth of
the resonance produced by
the “Sustain Samples” using
the Sustain Sampling Depth
parameter in the “OTHER
SETTING” menu. (See
page 83.)

Soft pedal (left)

The soft pedal reduces the volume and slightly changes the timbre of notes
played while the pedal is pressed. (The soft pedal will not affect notes that are
already playing when it is pressed. Press the pedal immediately before you
play the target notes.)

With the Vibraphone and Jazz Organ voices, this pedal turns vibrato on and
off or toggles the speed of vibrato. (See page 83.)

TIP

You can assign a function to
each pedal via the “R
Pedal”, “M Pedal”, and “L
Pedal” parameters in the
“VOICE SETTING” menu.
(See pages 75, 76.)

TIP

The center and left pedals
can also be assigned to
song start/stop operation
(START/STOP function) via
the “PedalStart/Stop”
parameter in the “OTHER
SETTING” menu (on
page 84).

PF-500 27

Selecting and Playing Voices

Adding variation to the sound [BRILLIANCE]/[REVERB]/[CHORUS]

The Effect function enables you to add expression to the sound. The PF-500 effects include Brilliance,
Reverb, and Chorus.

[REVERB]

[CHORUS]

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

TRACK

TRACKS

1

2

FILE

SONG SELECT

TOP

NEW SONG

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

DEMO TEMPO

SYNCHRO START

SONG
/

STOP

START

REC

SETTING

SONG

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

UPDOWN

C

NO YES

B

D

METRONOME

EXTRA

TRACK

CONTRAST

GRAND

E.PIANO

GRAND

PIANO 1

PIANO 2

CHURCH

ORGAN

ORGAN

EXITEXIT

HARPSI-

E.CLAVI-

E.PIANO

1

CHORD

CHORD

2

SYNTH.

JAZZ

STRINGS

WOOD

PAD

BASS

CHOIR

VOICE

VOICE

VIBRA-

SETTING

PHONE

GUITAR

SPLIT

REVERB CHORUS

BRILLIANCE

VARIATION BRIGHTMELLOW

E.BASS

XG

EFFECT

BRILLIANCE [MELLOW] / [BRIGHT]

[BRILLIANCE]

You can use this control to adjust the brilliance of the tone and change the tonality to suit your preference.

Procedure

Press one of the BRILLIANCE [MELLOW]/ [BRIGHT] buttons
to select the desired tonality.

A

C

Mellow3

Mellow2

Mellow1

Soft and mellow tone.
The sound becomes more mellow and rounder as the
number increases.

Normal........... Standard tone

B

NO YES

D

You can press BRILLIANCE
[MELLOW] [BRIGHT], and
then use D [–][+] to select
the desired tonality.

Normal setting = Normal

Normal setting:

The “Normal setting” refers
to the default setting (factory
setting) obtained when you
first turn on the power to the
PF-500.

TIP

TIP

TERMINOLOGY

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER
SETTING

28 PF-500

Bright1

Bright2

Bright tone.
The sound becomes brighter as the number increases.

Bright3

Press the [EXIT] button to return to the main screen.

NOTE

If you select [Bright1],
[Bright2] or [Bright3] as the
type of brilliance, the volume
level will increase slightly.
Under this condition, if you
raise the [MASTER VOL­UME] dial setting, the sound
may become distorted. In
this case, lower the volume
accordingly.

Selecting and Playing Voices

[REVERB]

This control adds reverberation to the sound by simulating the natural reverberation of a concert hall.

Procedure

Pressing the [REVERB] button repeatedly toggles the reverb
on and off.

Even if the reverb effect is turned off, a “soundboard reverb” effect
will be applied when the GrandPiano1 or GrandPiano2 voice is
selected.

[CHORUS]

This control adds spread and spaciousness to the sound.

Procedure

Pressing the [CHORUS] button repeatedly toggles the cho­rus on and off.

You can turn the chorus effect on and off by pressing the [CHORUS]
ON/OFF buttons on the panel and by setting the Chorus On Off
parameter in the VOICE SETTING menu (see page 72). The [CHO­RUS] ON/OFF button setting on the panel is temporary. That is, if
you select another voice, the chorus setting for the previous voice is
cancelled. The Chorus On Off parameter setting is saved for each
voice. That is, if you select a given voice, the chorus setting is auto­matically turned on or off according to the saved chorus setting.

TIP

You can select a reverb type
via the Reverb Type param­eter in the “VOICE SET­TING” menu, and adjust the
reverb depth for the selected
voice via the Reverb Send
parameter. (See page 71.)

TIP

Normal setting = ON

TIP

You can select a chorus type
via the Chorus Type param­eter in the “VOICE SET­TING” menu, and adjust the
chorus depth for the
selected voice via the
Reverb Send parameter. You
can also turn chorus on or
off via the Chorus On Off
parameter. (See page 71.)

TIP

Normal Setting

The normal chorus on/off
setting is different for each
voice.

PF-500 29

Selecting and Playing Voices

Combining two voices (Dual mode)

You can play two voices simultaneously across the entire range of the keyboard. In this way, you can simulate
a melody duet or combine two similar voices to create a thicker sound. Refer to “Voice Combination Exam­ples (Dual and Split)” on page 99 for examples of effective voice combinations.

The numbers on the upper row indicate the steps

METRONOME

2

A

SETTINGSTART/STOP

UPDOWN

C

2

in Dual mode using voices from different groups.

EXTRA

TRACK

TRACK

TRACKS

1

2

FILE

SONG

START

SONG SELECT

TOP

/

STOP

REC

SONG KEYBOARD

MAXMIN

NEW SONG

SONG BALANCEMASTER VOLUME

DEMO TEMPO

SYNCHRO START

SETTING

SONG

The numbers on the bottom row indicate the steps
in Dual mode using voices from the same group.

Dual mode using voices in different voice groups

Procedure

1. Enter Dual mode.

Press two voice group buttons simultaneously.

Voice 1 Voice 2

A

C

B

NO YES

D

NO YES

Voice

GRAND
PIANO 1

CHURCH
ORGAN

1 3

E.PIANO

GRAND
PIANO 2

JAZZ
ORGAN

STRINGS

1 43

E.PIANO

1

CHOIR

group buttons

HARPSI-

VIBRA-

E.CLAVI-

CHORD

PHONE

CHORD

2

SYNTH.

GUITAR

WOOD

PAD

BASS

E.BASS

XG

VOICE

Voice
group buttons

VOICE

SETTING

SPLIT

VARIATIO N BRIGHTMELLOW

REVERB CHORUS

BRILLIANCE

EFFECT

MIDI

SETTING

OTHER

SETTING

2

CONTRAST

B

EXITEXIT

D

TIP

If you want to select Dual
mode for the left-hand area
when the entire keyboard is
divided into left and right
areas (page 32), hold down
[SPLIT] and simultaneously
press two voice group but­tons.

30 PF-500

2. Select a voice.

Use the A [–]/[+] buttons and B [–]/[+] buttons to select a
voice.

The voices listed in the upper row in “Preset Voice List” on page 97 are
called voice 1, and those listed in the bottom row are called voice 2.

3. Exit Dual mode and return to normal play mode.

Press any voice group button.

TIP

You can also use the VARIA­TION [▼]/[▲] buttons to
select the voice 1.

TIP

Refer to page 26 for details
on how to select XG voices.